Angola: 18-month-old party confident of win in August 23 presidential polls

Quintino Moreira, an opposition leader in Angola says his party is ready to take over the reigns of power from the ruling MPLA, local media portal Opais reports.

Moreira who leads the National Patriotic Alliance or Aliança Patriótica Nacional (APN) says it does not matter that his party was founded only 18 months ago and that they had done enough work to win the August 23 presidential polls.

He, like other candidates, has been crisscrossing the country since campaigning was opened to elect a successor to long serving Jose Eduardo dos Santos. He was speaking to a cross section of supporters during a campaign stop in the capital, Luanda late last week.

We already have more than 650,000 members since we were registered a year and six months ago.

“The APN will cause a surprise in these elections with a simple majority,” he is quoted to have said. Moreira also disclosed that the party continued to register new members into its fold.

He told supporters that the APN was being well received on its campaign hence his optimism and firm belief that the young party can attain power with a simple majority.

Describing the APN as the fastest growing party he added: “We already have more than 650,000 members since we were registered a year and six months ago.”

Moreira said the party was ready to govern the oil-rich African country stressing that they were sending a message of hope as well as sensitizing voters to participate actively.

Moreira will be facing five other contenders in the August 23 polls. Campaigning started on July 23 and is expected to end two clear days to the day of polls. The MPLA’s Joao Lourenco, a minister, chosen to replace dos Santos is the favourite to win.